South full of IU recruits with Georgia defensive back signing with Hoeppner

Bloomington has long been known as a basketball town, but that is not preventing defensive back Austin Thomas from committing to the football team.\nThe native of Canton, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta, played defensive back for Sequoyah High School while leading the Chiefs to an 11-2 record and a top-5 finish in AAAAA, Georgia's highest classification.\nThomas led a defense that limited teams to 13.5 points per game, racking up 139 tackles and seven interceptions -- returning two for touchdowns.\nThose numbers didn't go unnoticed, as he was named Cherokee County defensive player by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as well as region 6AAAAA co-defensive player of the year. He was also a All-State honorable mention in class AAAAA by the newspaper.\nThomas took his official visit this weekend and despite the drastic change in weather from his home state he knew it was the place for him, Thomas said.\n"This past weekend I enjoyed it a lot," Thomas said. "I like (football coach Terry) Hoeppner and I would like to get to know him a lot better. He's a player's coach and will be a fun coach to play for."\nIU wasn't the only school trying to grab Thomas -- he was recruited by Georgia Tech, Miami University of Ohio, the Naval Academy, Kent State University, Georgia Southern University and Gardner-Webb University.\nEven though the Hoosiers weren't actively recruiting Thomas throughout the entire process, they became an option once Hoeppner came to IU in December. At Miami, Hoeppner had recruited Thomas as junior and senior.\nDespite the major transition from high school to college football, Sequoyah football coach Sid Maxwell said he doesn't feel it will be a problem.\n"I think he is fine. Georgia is very competitive in football," Maxwell said. "He is a good-sized defensive back. I think he is a very good cover guy and good open-field tackler -- someone like that can definitely play at that level. He is going to be a good asset."\nThough many players have to change positions when they go to Division I football, Thomas expects to continue playing defensive back and describes himself as a "hard-nosed player that can come up and hit you in the mouth."\nThomas will not be the lone Georgian on campus next season, as IU currently boasts two other players from the Peach state: freshmen cornerbacks Rayshun Calhoun and Chris Phillips.\nAlong with picking up Thomas from Georgia, Hoeppner has landed four other recruits from the South, according to the Web site www.rivals.com. There are currently 18 players who have committed to the Hoosiers with national signing day on Feb. 2. Hoeppner's recruiting class isn't full yet, as multiple scholarships are still available.\nEven though Thomas will be leaving a football state for a basketball state, he said he feels that generalization can be altered after some success.\n"I loved the kids that will be in my recruiting class. We all hung out together and we are forming as a team already," Thomas said. "I think that (perception about IU football) can change, with a new AD and president and new coach, I think we can do that and turn it around."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Dan Click at daaclick@indiana.edu.